Would You Spend the Night at an Underwater Hotel?

Imagine this: You wake up after spending the night in a luxurious hotel room. Yawning, stretching, greet-the-day-ing, you get out of your bed and walk over to your room's windows, each step made more energetic by your good night's sleep and your luxe surroundings and the ultra-soft shag rug under your bare feet. You draw open the curtains, dramatically, excitedly, and are greeted by ... AN ENORMOUS SHARK.

Would you find this scenario: a). wondrous or b). horrifying?

If you chose option b), you should probably not book a stay in The Water Discus, the high-tech lodge its creators are billing as the world's largest underwater hotel. The Water Discus -- which will be located, you will be unsurprised to learn, in Dubai -- will be technically only half underwater. The upper section -- the section that bears an uncanny resemblance to the Starship Enterprise -- will be stationed permanently above the water's surface, and complete with a sundeck, pools, a restaurant, a spa, and, yep, a helipad.

View gallery

.

Deep Ocean Technology

The underwater portion of the hotel -- which will be submerged about 38 feet under the surface -- will contain 21 hotel rooms as well as an underwater diving facility and a bar. Think of the thing a bit like a stationary submarine. Only, its creators are sure to note, a high-end submarine. The Water Discus itself "is located deep underwater," the Deep Ocean Technology site notes, "but its comfort and luxury are sky-high."

The hotel is also, its creators say, a kind of technology-enabled ratification of human destiny. "People have wanted not only to sail across the seas but also to explore the depths of the oceans since time immemorial," the site says. "Today, the advent of new technology made the heart of the ocean a setting not only for diving, but also for luxurious holidays. Now the innovative concept of Water Discus Hotels makes it all possible."

View gallery

.

Deep Ocean Technology

As such, Deep Ocean Technology says, exploration will be a component of the hotel's overall experience. The hotel will function, the firm emphasizes, as an underwater laboratory. And, like any good laboratory, it will put the latest technology to use to make sure that safety really does come first.

The Water Discus complex was designed to ensure safety at all times, even in the most adverse weather conditions.

The structure sits up on five sturdy legs fixed to the seabed, and the upper disc is suspended above the water surface. These two technical solutions will ensure that Water Discus remains safe even in the event of a fairly high tsunami, which can normally flood the nearest coastal areas.

The sturdiness of the construction and technical solutions employed ensure that the underwater disc automatically surfaces at once in the event of any danger.

A wide shaft with a view of the sky above gives a safe sense of spaciousness, minimising any claustrophobic feelings some may experience while staying in an enclosed underwater space.